STRUCTURES OF FE/TIC MULTILAYERS PREPARED BY ION-BEAM SPUTTERING AT ROOM-TEMPERATURE

Multilayered films composed of bcc Fe and fcc TiC ceramic layers, with their thickness on the nanometer scale, have been synthesized by ion beam sputtering at room temperature, The structures of the individual layers and the interfaces were investigated by reflection x-ray diffraction at both low and high angles, and by transmission electron microscopy on the cross section. Results show that flat and smooth TiC and Fe layers with abrupt and incoherent interfaces were formed. Parallel growth between the TiC and Fe crystal plane and uniform lattice expansions were observed in the multilayers. (C) 1995 American Vacuum Society.